Assam Tea Celebrates Bicentennial Milestone: Govt Grants 3-Year Tax Exemption on Agricultural Income

In a move to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Assam Tea industry, the Assam government has decided to grant a tax exemption on agricultural income for a period of three years, starting from April 1. The decision was made during a state cabinet meeting held at Janata Bhawan, Guwahati, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The announcement was made by Assam Tourism Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, who stated that the state cabinet has approved the issuance of a notification under the Assam Agriculture Income Tax Act, 1939. This notification will provide a tax exemption on agricultural income for a period of three years, effective from April 1 of this year.

Additionally, the cabinet also approved the implementation of the Olympic Values Education Programme in 250 government and private schools across Guwahati. The program, which will be conducted in collaboration with the Abhinav Bindra Foundation Trust, will be funded with Rs 6 crore from 2024 to 2027. The aim of the program is to address the challenges faced by students, such as a sedentary lifestyle, lack of concentration, and high dropout rates.

To strengthen the delivery of public services, the state cabinet approved the Assam Right to Public Services (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023. This ordinance will amend Sections 8A and 8B of the Assam Right to Public Services Act, 2012, and improve the appeal mechanism for Right to Public Services cases. The proposed amendments include the establishment of the Assam State Commission for Right to Public Services, which will function as a quasi-judicial body with a Chief Commissioner and two Commissioners.

In further developments, the cabinet approved the establishment of a State Bench of the GST Appellate Tribunal in Guwahati. This decision was made in accordance with the recommendations of the GST Council. Furthermore, amendments to the Assam ESI Doctors' Service Rules, 2000 were approved to ensure the smooth administration of the Employees' State Insurance Doctors' Service of Assam.

The cabinet also focused on enhancing the digital infrastructure for welfare schemes through the adoption of the Digital Infrastructure for DBT Schemes platform. An Integrated Social Registry will be prepared, initially incorporating the database of Orunodoi and NFSA schemes, including Aadhaar data.

Beneficiaries from other schemes will subsequently be added to the registry, with all DBT schemes of the state government required to be onboarded as per the timeline set by the State Level Advisory Committee.